Archive for the ‘subcompact’ tag

By the late 1960s, it was apparent that America’s appetite for small, inexpensive and fuel-efficient cars wasn’t going to disappear. To counter this assault on market share, American automakers opened the 1970s with new economy cars of their own, and as this 1971 print ad for the AMC Gremlin X clearly illustrates, none thought quite as far outside the box as American Motors.

Introduced in April 1970, the AMC Gremlin hit the market five months before the Ford Pinto and the Chevrolet Vega. To speed up development time (and reduce development costs), the Gremlin was built on a shortened and modified Hornet platform, borrowing heavily from the corporate parts bin. While the front two-thirds of the car was conventionally styled, the car’s kammback rear set it apart from both domestic compacts and imports alike, and its unusual shape quickly won it both fans and critics.

While the Pinto and Vega made do with thrifty four-cylinder engines, the 1971 Gremlin gave buyers a choice of either the 135-hp 232-cu.in. inline six-cylinder or the optional 150-hp 258-cu.in. six. Performance was exceptional for the category, with period road tests reporting a 0-60 MPH time below 12 seconds and a top speed of 100 MPH from the base engine. Looking to capitalize on this capability, AMC debuted the Gremlin X for 1971, and was quick to point out that the car offered more than a stripe package and revised badging.

In addition to a larger engine, Gremlin X buyers got wider standard tires than the competition, mounted on revised slot-style wheels. Inside, the bucket seats were the same models found in AMC’s sportiest offering, the Javelin, which consumers must have seen as a major selling point given the Gremlin X’s $2,299 starting price. The ad seen here even brags about the Gremlin X’s heavier weight, perhaps looking to appeal to those who equated mass with safety.

Despite the Gremlin’s fuel economy handicap compared to the competition, sales grew year upon year. In 1971, the car’s first full year on the market, AMC sold 53,480 examples, but by 1974, the total had climbed to 131,905. The 1975 introduction of the AMC Pacer caused production to plummet, and AMC built just 45,848 Gremlins that year; despite declining sales, the Gremlin would remain a staple of the AMC product line through the 1978 model year, when it was replaced by the AMC Spirit.

Whether the AMC Gremlin was a uniquely styled subcompact with the spirit of a sporty car or a uniquely styled sporty car with the advantages of a subcompact proved to be an irrelevant debate. Instead, the Gremlin proved that thinking outside the box can occasionally lead to big results, even for small (relatively speaking) companies.

Yes, 50 years ago today saw the introduction of the Plymouth Barracuda, but at least a couple other vehicles debuted on April 1 as well, including the half-a-Hornet Gremlin, so let’s dive into the classifieds for one today, shall we? This 1976 AMC Gremlin for sale on Hemmings.com may not be totally stock and it may not have a V-8 under its hood, but it should still serve as a decent driver and have no problem gathering a crowd wherever it goes. From the seller’s description:

has been the previous owner’s often used driver for the last 4 years. This person was very active in the SC Regional AMC club. 258 6 Cylinder, 2BBL, Automatic, AC, PS, with front disc brakes. A long time South Carolina car the body is very solid. Before landing in the previous owner’s garage, it was from a Greenville, SC owner who had it stored in his garage for several years. The mileage was only 67K at the time of the previous transfer. The private owner we bought the car from spent well over 10K while in his care. A few important items he replaced are the timing chain, bushings, ball-joints, shocks, brake lines, calipers, rotors, master cylinder, drums, belts, hoses, water pump, thermostat, universal joints, plugs, fuel pump, the battery and wires. Fresh paint with new Phoenix Graphics stripes. He also had the front seat reupholstered, the heater core replaced, a new windshield installed, a new HEI Ignition, new carburetor, Flow master exhaust front to back and he installed an under-dash Pioneer CD stereo. Tires are 215 60 14 BFGoodrich Radial TA’s, about 6K on them mounted on original Keystone Raiders. Currently this car is a solid dependable driver that looks sharp enough to hit the Cruise-ins periodically. All maintenance records go with the car, Clear SC title

The original Mini subcompact quickly developed a reputation as a giant killer in competition, thanks in part to its light weight and go-kart-like handling. Still, many underestimate the performance potential of the car, perhaps lured into a false sense of calm by its benign looks. While this 1967 Austin Mini Cooper S for sale on Hemmings.com may look sedate (apart from the flared fenders covering Minilite-style wheels), its impressive build sheet leads us to believe it’s quite a bit faster than it looks. It’s been restored as well and wears new paint, new upholstery and new front and rear window seals, just to mention a few of its recent upgrades. While this particular Mini won’t score points for originality, it appears to be a well-sorted car that’s guaranteed to put a permanent smile of the face of its next owner (particularly if he lives near tight and twisty roads). From the seller’s description:

The car has been professionally restored to a high standard using only the best parts and components available. The current mileage is 60,150 and is believed to be original. The car is equipped with a 4 speed transmission, 120 MPH speedometer and 10,000 RPM Smiths tachometer. The upholstery and carpets are new and the correct style for a 1275 Cooper S. The rear side windows pop open for increased flow-through ventilation. Both front seats tilt forward. List of upgrades includes: Converted from RHD to LHD, rebuilt A+ engine by MiniMania to performance specifications 1380cc, including new Weber 40 DCOE carburetor and linkage, mild race cam, custom center exit exhaust, limited slip differential, new Aero quip fuel line, new Mocal oil cooler, converted to new and better rod-change gear shift linkage, new Bosch brake booster, new Nipondenso high torque, gear-drive starter, new radiator, new belts and hoses. Electrics, including tachometer, changed from positive to negative ground, necessary to convert from a generator to an alternator, new alternator, new Lucas Sport coil. New Koni shocks and adjustable springs (rubber) front and rear. New steering rack. New Paddy Hopkirk accelerator pedal. Front and rear sub-frames removed, sand-blasted, primed and painted. New fender flares painted to match roof. Body re-painted in original Old English White. New under-hood pad. Windshield and rear window gaskets replaced. New front seat springs and upholstery. New carpet. New dashboard liner and panel shelf covering. New inertia-reel front seat belts. New (air) horns. New washer pump, bottle and hoses. New Monza alloy flip-top fuel caps. Yokohama A008s. I will also include a brand new alloy sump guard that I have not installed yet. Clear title, registered in California.

The Ford Pinto has history. There, we’ve said it. And before you start guffawing or hit the “back” button, listen to some stats here. The Pinto was built by Ford for a decade, from the model years 1971 through 1980. Total production was 3,127,322 units. The Pinto Car Club of America claims more than 6,500 active members, and estimates that 5,000 to 10,000 Pintos are still on the road. The club’s even gone to the trouble to calculate another number – 27 – the total number of documented fatalities tied to fuel tank explosions from rear impacts, not the exponentially larger death toll claimed during the accompanying media frenzy that doomed the car, which Pinto partisans purport is completely in line with those of other 1970s compacts.

So let’s see the Chevrolet Vega, to say nothing of the Plymouth Cricket, match those tallies. And let’s give a call to Norm Bagi (that’s his blue 302-powered car in the photo above) and the Pinto Club for staging the third annual Pinto Stampede, which the Pinto Club conducts with the aim of both celebrating the much-maligned car and raising funds for the Wounded Warrior Project, for which the Club has raised more than $30,000 via the last two Stampedes.

There will be driving events on the Stampede, which runs from Rockford, Illinois, down the Mississippi and concludes with victory laps around Memphis International Raceway, just as last year’s Stampede included laps around Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. That track’s got its own Pinto heritage as well: Years ago, it hosted two huge annual races for asphalt Modifieds, a lot of which bore Pinto bodywork.

The Pinto Stampede begins Thursday, August 1, and runs through Sunday, August 4. For more information, visit PintoStampede.com.

Though the term “subcompact” is most often associated with imports from Japan or Germany, Crosley began building subcompact automobiles in Indiana as early as 1939. Thanks in part to a fuel economy as high as 50 MPG, Crosley was allowed to continue automobile production into 1942, after larger automakers had been ordered to shift production to aid the war effort. This 1941 Crosley Deluxe Sedan, for sale on Hemmings.com, was likely built before the official entry of the United States into the Second World War, but the potential for upcoming hardships (like fuel rationing) may have factored heavily into the original purchase decision. This example is being sold with its original air-cooled two-cylinder engine, plus a second engine with low hours. It’s said to be relatively rust free, though the convertible top reportedly needs some attention. From the seller’s description:

Nice older restoration. Paint is very good. No evidence of rot except small floor pan repair. Has original 2 cyl. motor plus extra motor with low hours.Needs some work on convertible top, back seat apholstory. I have back seat frame. front seats are redone.

While American consumers dozed fitfully in their suburban homes at the close of the 1960s, the country was quietly being invaded by foreign cars. Dealers for brands like Datsun, Opel (which was really part of General Motors), Toyota and Volkswagen were popping up in cities from coast to coast, and that was a threat that American Motors took seriously. To stem the foreign car tide, AMC debuted its subcompact Gremlin in April of 1970.

As this consumer-focused, film-strip-turned-video from 1970 shows, there was good reason for concern. In 1969 alone, subcompact imports from Datsun (incorrectly spelled “Datson,” a name unused since 1931), Opel, Toyota, and Volkswagen totaled some 847,779 units. Volkswagen, with sales of 566,369 Beetles, posed the largest threat, so this semi-whimsical Gremlin sales pitch focuses its attention squarely on the Volkswagen Beetle and its fanatical “Bug Boosters.”

Conceding fuel economy to the VW (which delivered 26 MPG to the Gremlin’s 23 MPG), the ad uses the AMC’s 800-pound heavier curb weight as a selling point, claiming that it delivers better stability in headwinds and crosswinds. The Gremlin’s larger engine (the 199-cu.in. inline-six used in the AMC Hornet, from which the Gremlin was derived) is another plus, giving the AMC the ability to keep up with traffic, even when driving uphill. The Gremlin’s larger cargo capacity (up to 22-cu.ft. in two-passenger models) was a further plus, as was the car’s easier access to cargo loading and unloading via the rear glass hatch.

Those still not convinced were prompted to consider the Volkswagen’s styling, as the announcer says, “That Bug just ain’t going to turn into a butterfly.” The Gremlin’s superior looks (a truly subjective point) are emphasized, as is the availability of amenities like trim packages, a roof rack, pleated seats and an enhanced dashboard, features that Volkswagen simply didn’t offer from the factory.

The Gremlin would occupy the slot as AMC’s subcompact model through the 1978 model year, ultimately offering engines that ranged from an Audi-sourced 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder to a 401-cu.in. V-8 (in limited-production Randall 401-XR form). Unlike rival subcompacts from domestic automakers, the AMC went the entirety of its production run without major scandal, selling a total of some 671,475 units in the U.S. and Canada. While that pales in comparison to the Volkswagen Beetle (as well as the Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega), it was a solid performance for American Motors.

A number of vehicles came to the end of their respective lines in 1987, including the then-ubiquitous Chevrolet Chevette. The versatility of the global GM T-platform begat not just the Chevette, but also the badge-engineered T1000 in 1981 to supersede the Pontiac Sunbird, and position an entry-level hatchback on a lower financial rung than the numerically superior Pontiac J2000.

The value leader was already an anachronism on wheels when it was introduced to a fuel-starved America as the Chevrolet Chevette in 1976. The car was a rolling relic of the Seventies by 1987, but this didn’t stop sales, as the cars served on the utilitarian end of the lineup as the leading GM subcompact econobox. The little cars worked as advertised and sold in large numbers.

Based on the global GM T-platform shared with Opels, Holdens, Isuzus, Vauxhalls, and even Daewoos, the Chevette featured a drivetrain configuration rapidly falling out of fashion in the small-car universe. The Chevette front engine, rear-wheel-drive setup was unusual in an industry seemingly obsessed with a front-wheel-drive future.

While Chevrolet moved more than 800,000 Chevettes off the lots over 1979 and 1980, the Pontiac T1000 never experienced stellar sales figures. A little more than 60,000 of the 60-something horsepower thriftmobiles sold in 1981. Sales shrank to under 6,000 units by 1987 (by which time Pontiac dropped the T and just referred to it as the 1000). An optional sport package brought anti-roll bars and alloy wheels, with surviving sets likely as rare as remaining T1000s.

In the end, Pontiac turned to none other than Brendon Spleen (we can’t even make this stuff up) to help move any remaining 1000s in the following dealer training video, which touts the ongoing if not waning popularity of the plucky Pontiac.

Across the nation, wherever people work, play, or gather, the 1987 Pontiac 1000 is a favorite among those who are impressed with built-in value.

The luster of the once-leading hatchback was oxidized by 1987, and the built-in value light shone dim on the 1000 and Chevette. The rear-wheel-drive hatchback was gone from the lineup, but not to worry. Those looking for a four-cylinder rear-wheel-drive car Pontiac could still pick up a Firebird.

From hanging around AMC nuts for a few years, we’ve noticed that Gremlin owners really like themes as a way to make their cars stand out from the crowd – as if it took anything more than simply being a Gremlin to stand out from the crowd. We’re guessing, based on the presence of a V-8 under the hood, that the previous owner of this 1973 AMC Gremlin for sale on Hemmings.com chose a green theme not to trumpet the eco-consciousness of driving a subcompact car. From the seller’s description: